Location: Ardabīl 🌎

Ardabil (pronunciation , Persian: اردبیل, romanized: Ardabīl or Ardebīl) is a city in northwestern Iran, and the capital of Ardabil Province.At the time of the National Census of 2006, the population of the city was 412,669 in 32,386 households. The following census in 2011 counted 482,632 people in 134,715 households. By the time of the census of 2016, there were 529,374 inhabitants living in 158,627 households. As of the 2022 census, Ardabil’s population was 588,000. The population of Ardabil is about 650,000 with the majority Shia Muslim. The dominant majority in the city are ethnic Iranian Azerbaijanis and the primary language of the people is Azerbaijani. Ardabil is known for its trade in silk and carpets. Ardabil rugs are renowned and the ancient Ardabil carpets are considered among the best of classical Persian carpets. Ardabil is also home to a World Heritage Site, the Ardabil Shrine, the sanctuary and tomb of Shaikh Safî ad-Dîn, eponymous founder of the Safavid dynasty.